Monday, January 31, 2011

Hi! Welcome to a new regular feature for Ideas at Scrapbookers. Each month on the last Monday of the month, we will be sharing a digi-tip for scrapbookers and crafters.

If you've done paper scrapping, you know you can just pick up a corner rounder tool and snip the corners on your photos and mats. But just how do you do that in the digi world? Today I'm showing you how to round the corners on your photos or mats in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. Let's get started!

Now as with many software programs, in Photoshop and PS Elements, there is more than one way to do things. So by no means am I saying that this way is the only way! If you know a different way and it's comfortable for you, keep using it.

Let's start by opening a 300 pixel/inch document. I'm working in a 12x12" document cause that's what size I scrapbook. Yours can be whatever size you like.

Press the letter D on your keyboard, this will set the Foreground/Background colors to the default black/white. Now click on the Rounded Rectangle Tool, it's in with the Rectangle Tool, so you may have to reveal it by clicking and holding on the Rectangle Tool or right-click to reveal the hidden tools.

At the top of your screen set your choices in the Options Bar: Select the "Shape Layers" icon (Photoshop only) and the "Create New Shape Layer" icon. Then adjust the radius. The lower the number that you use, the sharper the corners will be. The larger the number the more rounded the corners will be. Then click and drag to create the rectangle you want for your mat. If you hold the shift key while you drag the rectangle shape tool, it will create a square. I've created the rectangle on the left with a radius of 30 and the one on the right with a radius of 60 to help show the difference in the rounded corners.

These shapes are going to be the mats beneath our photos. Now we need a place to put our photos.

To create a place to drop our photos and have them rounded as well, Ctrl-click on the thumbnail of the shape in the layers panel. This will place a selection (marching ants) around the shape.

Choose Select>Modify>Contract from the menu. A window pops up and you will type in the number of pixels you would like to contract (shrink) your selection by. I used 30 pixels in my example. This means there will be a 30 pixel width mat visible around my photos.

Now click the New Layer icon in the Layers panel to create a new layer above the mat shape. Select Edit>Fill Selection to activate the Fill dialog. Choose a fill color and click OK. Press Ctrl D to remove the selection.

You now have separate layers that you can use as clipping masks to "glue" your mat paper and photo to. Simply open the digital paper that you want to use for your mat and drag it on to your project as a new layer above the mat shape.

Click on the paper layer (that you just dragged over) to make sure it is active. Then position your mouse in the layers panel on the line between the paper layer and the mat layer, press and hold the Alt key, you'll see the mouse cursor change to a symbol of intersecting circles, click and you will "clip" the paper layer to the mat shape. Drag your photo on to the project above your photo placeholder layer and repeat the clipping process. Your layers will look like the above image.

By placing your mat and photo on separate layers in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, it allows you the freedom to apply layer styles individually to each layer. In my example above, I have given drop shadows to the mat and photo on the right sample. I gave the mat a deeper shadow than the photo.

Join me next month for another Digi-tip. If there are any Photoshop or Photoshop Elements techniques that you would like to see featured in the monthly Digi-tips, please email me at: scrappycath@gmail.com

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Happy Saturday! It's gray and dreary here once again, but trying to make the best of it. Today I am sharing a cool site with lots of fabulous ideas and inspiration! I can share as many as five per Saturday, so please read over the next paragraph to be a part of it.

Do you want to share cool stuff? If you are the owner, design team member, or just a fan of an online scrapbook store, scrapbook company, kit club, etsy shop, digital store, free idea/sketch blog, OR scrapbook class and you want to showcase cool stuff for free, please read over this post, follow the directions and I will feature your cool stuff!

-On to our cool site for today. It is a scrapbook blog with so many neat ideas. There are so many neat tutorials, design cut files, and other stuff you will love. Let's learn more about this blog!

Hello all! My name is Paula and I created the blog, 101 Ways To Scrap, to help out fellow scrappers in their adventure in scrapbooking. Here you will find lots of great info on anything that can help you along whether you are just starting out or are a seasoned scrapper. You will want to be sure to review the list of topics on the right. I am sure you will find what you are looking for! I wanted to be more active on this blog, so in January 2011 I started, The Friday (.cut) Files. Every other Friday, I post a new Design Studio .cut file for downloading. This is a free file for use by anyone for personal use only. So far, these files are of my own creation, but occasionally I will call on good friends to help me out. Something else I started in 2011 is Tuesday Tutorial. This is a video/picture tutorial of a technique, process, idea or anything at all. This could be my own idea or an idea I found online (I will always be sure to include a link to the original tutorial location. I want to be sure to give credit where credit is due). I am always open to ideas/suggestions from any of my followers which could make my blog even better! So, feel free to send me an email any time. I also have several scrapbooking links throughout my blog for my followers to make great use of at their leisure! Also, feel free to visit my other two blogs The Scrapbook Speedway (www.thescrapbookspeedway.blogspot.com) and Scrapbooking Storage Solutions (www.scrapbookingstoragesolutions.blogspot.com)!

Friday, January 28, 2011

It's time for another Friday Featured Artist! She is from South Africa and her name is Tracy! I am really excited to showcase her talents and post today! She will show us step by step how to create an amazing two page layout.. so very cool! Tracy scraps with classic and eye-catching designs. I checked out her blog here and found so many neat projects and layouts ;) Don't forget to stop on over there! Let's get to know Tracy and then I will be posting her layout tutorial!

Hi everyone. My name is Tracy Gardiner and I hail from the East Coast of South Africa – a hot and humid City called Durban . I cannot imagine living anywhere else – we have it all here including the most awesome weather year-round (although we have had quite enough rain of late, thank you very much …). I am a SAHM to a 14-year old boy, Bryce and 40-year old husband, Greg. I have been married for just over 16 years – Greg and I dated for 7 years prior to that so I feel as though we have known each other FOREVER.

I have been scrapbooking for the better part of about 12 years and I have loved every second of it – in fact, I dream about scrapbooking just about every evening … tee hee … you know how it goes … you see that perfect page in your sleep and when you wake up you can’t remember what it looked like??? Uh huh – you know what I mean … Anyway, I am a simple, clean scrapper with an attention to detail. My favourite part is journaling – to me there is no point in just “licking and sticking” – the STORY needs to be told for future generations – all the stories – the good, the bad and the ugly sometimes too …. I featured as a Design Team member for www.journalingjunkie.blogspot.com during 2009 and 2010 and will be returning there in due course.

I recently completed a year on the Imaginisce (www.imaginisce.com) Design Team and I loved every minute of it – what an awesome, generous Company to work with and they have such gorgeous products – go check out their CHA releases at www.imaginisceblog.com .

I have also recently, with my BFF Sophia, launched an online Scrapbooking Kit Club called Le Shabby Café. Please pop in and see what we’ve been up to … www.leshabbycafe.blogspot.com .

Lastly, please visit me at my Blog (www.tracyscharmedlife.blogspot.com) to see more of my work and to see where I will be teaching over the course of the next few months …

Thank you for having me over, Pam … it has been a great pleasure and I can’t wait to meet all the girls who visit with you …

**** DO NOT cut any of the information strips off of the bottom of your patterned papers or you will not be able to tell which I am referring to in the notes ****

** Set aside the pieces you are cutting separately from the “scraps” so that you can find the necessary pieces when we assemble the page **

* Please note that we work in centimetres here in South Africa so you will need to convert my measurement to inches if necessary *

LIFE IS GOOD (double page Layout)
by TRACY GARDINER

(we will first do all the cutting of the paper and then the assembly of the page)

Brown Cardstock: -
1) On the BACK of both sheets of cardstock, measure 4cm from all the edges and draw pencil lines;
2) Cut out the of both sheets with a craft knife and metal ruler (creating two square frames with a 4cm frame all around);
3) Set the Frames aside:

Lt Blue Cardstock:-
1) From both sheets of cardstock cut 2cm from the top and 2cm from the left-hand side of each, leaving you with 2 squares measuring 22.5cm x 22.5cm;
2) Distress the edges of these squares with a distress tool and ink all edges;
3) Set these aside with the 2 brown “frames” and the 4 photo mats.

The Brown and Lt Blue cardstock pieces you have just cut out form the background pages.

HT – Grin:-
1) Cut 2 pieces measuring 9cm x 12cm;
2) Ink all edges.

HT – Glee: -
1) Cut 5 strips of 1.5cm x full width of your page (ie. .5 cm x 30.5cm/12”)
2) From these 5 strips cut the following lengths: -
(a) 4 x (13cm x 1.5cm)
(b) 4 x (9cm x 1.5cm)
(c) 4 x (8.5cm x 1.5cm)
3) Cut a notch into one side of each of these pieces (2a-c bove) as you would the end of a ribbon (see detail in picture f the completed LO above);
4) Ink the edges of these pieces and set them aside.

HT – Cards:-
1) Cut out the following cards: -
(a) the one with the bird on it – cut the bird out, ink the edges and set it aside;

TIP - (when “fussy” cutting smaller items it is best to cut around the image leaving a small border all the way around – don’t stress about cutting it “exactly” as often there are small and skinny pieces which will just tear off if you don’t leave a little border)

(b) the one with the scallop circle grid – cut around the edge of the brown border, ink and set aside;

HT – Stickers: -
1) Mat the following stickers onto the scraps of brown cardstock you set aside earlier (just hand-cut a thin mat around each sticker once you have stuck it down):-
a) “Make a Wish” star;
b) “Remember” ticket;
c) “Sweet Thing” postage stamp;
d) small green/brown spotted heart;
2) at the “LIFE IS GOOD” title onto the dark teal cardstock.

HT – Strips:-
1) Cut the following strips: -
a) Harlequin/Diamond strip – cut out 4 diamonds, ink the edges of these diamonds and set aside;

Felt:-
1) Cut the following from the felt (simple draw these imagesdirectly onto the felt or onto paper and use as a template): -
(a) 1 x large Cloud;
(b) 1 x med Cloud;
(c) 2 x small Clouds;
(d) 1 x small heart; and
(e) 1 x med Flower.

Well done, girls – the cutting is over and it is time to assemble our pages … (maybe it’s tea time by now, so go on and have a cup of cappuccino for me …)

4. Okay, now comes the Misting – this is not an exact Science and you may very well scream out in frustration if your mist comes out too fast, too wet and too concentrated – RELAX!!! Mine was not perfect either but I can give you some Misting Tips which may help BEFORE you actually start misting.

TIP – Turn the bottle upside down so that the “shimmer” mixes with the mist. Do not shake it too hard because it creates excess bubbles and can come out wet and blotchy when you spray it onto your project. Just lightly tilt it up and down to mix it properly. You may want to “practice” on a scrap sheet of paper first. Hold the mist about 5 or 6 cm away from your project and then spray once to see what kind of effect you are getting. Now continue spraying until you are happy with the position and concentration of the mist.

Using the photos of the completed layout as a guideline, mist in the areas where you can see Mist – on the left-hand page next to the large mat – on the right-hand page alongside the portrait mat at the bottom AND in the top right hand corner). We do this before we stick anything further so that the Mist does not transfer to any of our photos or other elements. Let the Mist dry before adhering anything further.

5. In the meantime you can start adhering your photos to the mats. I would use light sepia or black and white photos.

6. The next step is to adhere your photo mats to your background (follow details in the picture of the completed LO above).
(a) Left-hand side page –
- Brown 10cm x 15cm portrait mat – adhere this to the light blue background about 4cm from the top right-hand corner and about 0.5cm from the right-hand edge;
- Brown 8cm x 11cm (matted onto stripe) portrait mat – adhere this to the light blue background about 2.5cm from the bottom of the light blue cardstock and about 0.5cm from the brown mat you have already stuck down.
(b) Right-hand side page –
- Brown 8cm x 11cm portrait mat – adhere this 4cm from the top of the light blue background and about 0.5cm from the left-hand edge;
- Brown 8cm x 11cm (matted onto strip) landscape mat – adhere this mat in line with the bottom of, and about 0.5cm from the side of the brown mat you have just stuck down on this page;
- Brown 8cm x 11cm portrait mat – adhere this mat 2.5cm from the bottom of the light blue background and about 6.5cm from the edge of the light blue cardstock (below the mat you have just stuck down).

7. Stitching (again, see the details on the picture of the completed LO above):-
(a) Left-hand page:
- adhere the scallop circle grid between the two strips on the left hand edge of the page and stitch into place with a running stitch and a zigzag stitch in between;
- stitch the small felt heart onto the “Sweet Thing” Postage Stamp;
- stitch a button onto the small felt heart using the brown floss and tying a bow in front;
- adhere the Postage Stamp above the large cloud and in the top left-hand corner
- stitch the small Heart Sticker onto the large cloud and stick the large cloud down as shown
- draw 6 pencil lines, 1cm apart, below the large photo mat, trace over these with a brown pen and then stitch over the brown pen to form your journaling lines.

(b) Right-hand page:
- stitch a running line with a zigzag in the centre between the two strips on the edge of the right-hand side page;
- stitch a button onto the felt flower with brown floss, tying a bow in front;

8. Banner: -
(a) Draw a circle in pencil, 10cm from the top right-hand corner of the right -hand side page – this is where your banner will be placed;
(b) Fold the 4 diamonds that you cut from the “Harlequins” strip in half to form a triangle and, using a glue dot, stick the two bottom points together;
(c) Thread the 4 triangles onto brown floss leaving a space between the 2nd and the 3rd triangles for the “Remember” ticket;
(d) Lay the banner onto the drawn circle and, starting from the left-hand side, use foam dots to secure the triangles and the “Remember” ticket to your page, following the line of the circle as shown below;
(e) Secure the floss to the page by adding brads and winding the floss around the brads;
(f) Adhere the medium cloud slightly under the “Remember” ticket;
(g) Add 3 small pearls as shown

9. (a) Adhere the small felt cloud, a small blue flower and the small newsprint flower onto your page to the left of the banner;
(b) Add the cut-out bird and 3 small pearl blings;
(c) Add a bling brad to the centre of the newsprint flower;
(d) Use Stickles to highlight the blue flower.

10. (a) Adhere the “Life is Good” Sticker to the left edge of the bottom portrait photo mat and add the “Make a Wish” star sticker to the bottom;
(b) Adhere the felt flower to the bottom right-hand corner of the mat;
(c) Add 4 pearl bling.

11 (a) Adhere the small cloud just slightly under the large cloud on the left-hand page;
(b) Add a bling brad just to the left of the heart sticker on the large cloud;
(c) Adhere the large newsprint flower as shown below.

THAT’S IT, girls!!! WELL DONE - it wasn’t so hard was it?? Maybe a little involved - but EASY as pie. Hope you enjoyed yourselves.

If you want to see more of my work, please pop along to my blog (www.tracyscharmedlife.blogspot.com) and scroll through older posts – you will find some tutorials as well as examples of some of my other work. You may also be interested in my challenge blog (www.scrapatale.blogspot.com) where you will find loads of tutorials and ideas from some well-known scrappers around the globe. (This hasn’t been updated for a while but we hope to get this going again soon … please email me if you would like to feature on this Challenge Blog … gardinert at telkomsa dot net)

Love,Tracy

oxox

*** All content and pictures are the property of Tracy Gardiner and may not be sold and/or reproduced in any way without Tracy’s written consent ***

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Today I am going to share a fun and easy Tulle Flower Tutorial with you. Tulle is a very inexpensive material and comes in many colors! You can find it in the scrapbooking section these days as a fabulous embellishment or head on over to the sewing section for your craft store you and will find a larger selection of it.

I have cut a section 5 inches by 5 1/2 inches. If you would like to make a smaller or lager flower simply cut the fabric accordingly.

Gather your tulle in a line and put a coordinating thread or fiber through one end and then the other end. Do this twice, making two 'stitches' to pull the ends of the tulle together.

Your tulle should now be in the shape of a circle. Pull tight on the fiber to secure the circle shape.

This next step will secure the bottom of the flower. Using the fiber and needle that are still in your flower move to the middle of the flower and make one stitch from the bottom of one side of the tulle to the next.

Once you pull tight this will close the bottom of your flower. Tie off each end of the fiber with a knot and trip off excess fiber.

Next us can get creative and fill in the middle of the flower with your personal touch. I used a rose ribbon to accent the middle of this flower.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

We are smack in the middle of winter here where I am. It's been snowing on and off for the past couple of weeks. How about by you? Perhaps it's summer there instead of winter? Or you live in somewhere warm?
Today I am sharing fabulous winter pages ... even if it's not snowing where you are, you can still find lots of inspiration!! What colors comes to mind when you think of doing a winter layout?? Let's take a look at what the contributor's have created using this "wintery" snow theme with an emphasis and what colors they chose for their pages!

Cathy created two beautiful winter pages using a bluish color theme. They look so neat using this color icy theme with touches of silver and gold. Blue is a fabulous choice for winter layouts!

Heather created this absolutely adore winter page using winter bright of pinks, teals, yellows, and greens! I love these color combinations for winter fun! Check out her page!

Nancy chose a different color combination which really gives a super cool look to her page! She chose pretty yellows, oranges, light pinks, and touches of blue! I love how these turned out!

Vicky, our newest contributor, chose a different route as well for her winter color theme! She chose beautiful rich colors like traditional reds, greens, and creams! What a pretty page!

Our last two pages are by Dolores! She chose two neat color choices for her pages! The first pages features a monochromatic pink with cream. What a pretty winter color combo! The second page uses blue, red, green, yellow, and brown in a classic clean lined design. Take a peek at her pages!

Do you have winter pages you would like to share? Send me an email at scrappingpam73@yahoo.com and I will feature them!!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

I have been fortunate that I am married to a very romantic guy and he remembers all those special dates like your birthday, wedding anniversary and Valentines Day. So I enjoy these special moments and cherish them in my heart. Well I have been getting better acquainted with Inkscape and working on improving my skills in the digital world and had some fun with flourishes this week. Thinking ahead to Valentines Day, I decided to create a heart from flourishes and incorporated it into a template. Here is my layout using the Flourish Heart Template.

The layout was created with a beautiful digital kit by Julie Billingsley titled "A Love to Last". The meaning behind that kit name is so "us" that I decided to use this as my layout title. It really describes the special relationship I have with my husband. I actually purchased the kit thinking I would go back and scrapbook my wedding pictures, but it's perfect for lots of occasions.

For our paper scrapbookers I have included a sketch below. The heart shape can be traced and cut out with scissors since it is a large object.

Four our digital scrappers the Photoshop Elements file can be downloaded. Click the file name below.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Wow I can't believe it is the 500th post on this blog! It seems like yesterday I started this :) and we are also adding a brand new contributor to the team today!! I am very honored that she said yes when I asked her!! I have been wanting to add her for a while now, but the team was full before and then the holidays... well you know, now it's January. Our NEW contributor, Vicky Alberto, was a featured artist back in August 20, so make sure you check her fabulous post about creating Diva Feather Flowers. Also please visit her blog here: http://simplypaperandcreativity.blogspot.com. I think you are going to love her amazing classic style along with her contributions to the blog! I am really excited to add her to the fabulous talent we already have in our contributors. Let's get to know Vicky with her intro again and some fun questions I asked her!!

Two years ago after having my daughter, I decided not to return to a corporate marketing job so I could raise my three young children. After 10 years in the marketing industry, scrapbooking was a natural extension of my work world to fill a creative void. I currently am on the Scrap That! kit design team as a layout artist, and their DT/Kit Coordinator. I also teach layout and flower technique classes at a local scrap shop in Alberta, Canada. I am a self proclaimed paper punch junkie and my scrap style lies somewhere between classic and shabby chic. Aside from punches... lace, flowers and Distress Stickles are what I tend to embellish my layouts with the most. My blog address is http://simplypaperandcreativity.blogspot.com and I am working on building an Etsy shop (listed under my full name vickyalberto at http://www.etsy.com/shop/vickyalberto) full of reasonably priced embellishment kits full of - GUESS? - lace, chipboard, bling, flowers and acid-free paper doilies - just to name a few items. I am so pleased to be able to share (and gain) creativity inspiration and scrappy products through the wonderful thing I used to curse... the Internet. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am a walking technology phobic with a terrible sense of direction = GPS nightmare, LOL. I'd rather stay home and play with paper and my kids than do anything else (well, vacations are an exception - tour guide a must!).

1. What is your favorite aspect of scrapbooking?I love scrapbooking because after taking care of kids all day (mine and other people's), it a great creative outlet. I'm physically busy all day so this hobby fills the creative void and mental stimulation of not working in marketing anymore.

2. What products/kit clubs are a must have for you?My favorite products are papers with a vintage or rustic feel like Graphic 45, Prima flowers are a must and Dusty Attic chipboard. Doilies and lace are also a weak spot for me. I really do love working with the Scrap That! kits, not because I design for them but because they always include cool finds (a lot from Etsy) and beautiful embellishments that I would have a hard time finding locally. I'm also a punch junkie - especially Martha Stewart brand. Honestly, the list could go on and on.

3. How many pages do you think you completed in 2010? Was it more or less than you wanted?I complete 3-5 pages per month and sometimes an altered item here or there - so probably around 40 pages a year. For me it's not about quantity... it's doing what I love at my own pace.

4. Is there any secret advice on how you complete your pages?I typically have 2-3 projects on the go at a time. I like to take a break once I'm almost done and come back with a fresh perspective before glueing it down. That's probably why I'm a slow scrapper but that's how I like it.

5. Name 5 of your favorite fonts.LOL, I don't have a single favorite font because I don't own a die cutting machine. I'd rather spend money on all the pretty letters like Thickers brand. I love the dimension of chipboard letters and all the beautiful flocked, glittered and other mediums they come in. I find it adds such a luxurious feel to a project. I also like stamping titles, especially on soft colored and monochromatic layouts.

Here are two of Vicky's favorite layouts :) Take a peek!!

Thanks Vicky, for joining as a contributor! We are totally excited to have you!!

About Pam Callaghan

Pam Callaghan has been scrapbooking for eleven years. She fell in love with the craft after a friend invited her to a scrapbook party. Pam currently is the project coordinator for Chickaniddy Crafts! She simply loves to create with paper and glue! She also likes to cross stitch, sketch, and take pictures.

Pam currently lives in Tennessee with her loving husband, Kevin and adorable son, Sean. She grew up in the Chicago area and since has lived in Indiana, Florida, and Ohio. They spend their free time going to movies, spoiling their two dogs, visiting local historic sites, and other family activities. Pam and her family are active members of their church and enjoy spreading the gospel.

About this Site

Ideas for Scrapbookers used be a blog with multiple contributors. Since September, 2014, it has become the creative site of Pam Callaghan. Please visit the old posts and keep in mind that not all of the older projects are created by Pam Callaghan. A badge on the bottom of the page or a name above each project will let you know who created it.